When Kings & Queens Play Pretend
by The 0dd 0ne
Summary: Step-siblings are the most ungodly creatures to walk Narnia. /or/ In which the Pevensies are not at all the Pevensies. [pevencest] [edmund/lucy] & [peter/susan] /AU blend movie/bookverse\ SIDE PROJECT R
1. the cupboard

p.r.o.l.o.g.u.e

the cupboard

_(you can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus - anonymous)_

The youngest of 4, as well as the purest hearted, Lucy is prone to pretending. It is not a scapegoat nor a habit. Lucy simply lives inside her head. And it is a bliss, wondrous place to thrive in.

The golden haired girl's favorite spot to hide in for undisturbed access to her world is the cupboard under the stairs. Not that her siblings know of this. Even Susan, who has a habit of knowing things you don't want her to, knows not of Lucy's hiding place.

She's kept her hiding place for quite some time. At least until one sluggish night that just so happens to be tonight will her hiding place divulged. And, of course, it will be found by the most cynical Pevensie child, Edmund. He won't even been searching for her hiding place, in fact, he'll been attempting to hide himself. She won't question as to whom he is hiding from, that's an obvious answer: he will be hiding from the eldest of the Pevensie children, Peter. Most likely he will have said something belittling about her & Peter will catch wind of it.

Lucy enjoys tending to her fluffy dog. He is perhaps her favorite of all her many pets, but don't tell that to them. Of course, she doesn't know what is about to occur. Still, she hears panicked pants. Then, a voice far too alike to Edmund's lets out a relieved, "thank God." Lucy's big eyes fly open just in time for her to see the doorknob turn.

"Oh no," she whispers, the cupboard has been her sanctuary, her haven - Edmund's discovery of it will surely spoil it for her. Edmund often spoils things for his younger sister. Whether it brings him joy to force someone beneath him emotionally or he simply finds it amusing to taunt his step-sister, Lucy is naïvely unaware as she often is._  
_

That's correct, the Pevensie children are not all related. Edmund, until roughly half a year ago, had only had the dark haired, fair skinned Susan as a sibling & innocent little Lucy had been content with the equally golden haired Peter as a sibling.

"Lucy?" A dark haired boy with calculating eyes & an almost permanent scowl says.

Lucy freezes. Have you ever seen a girl suddenly stop moving? If not, it is a sight to see. Her entire body simply holds still, she doesn't even dare to breathe as she is proven correct about who exactly had entered the cupboard. Her stillness is that of a statue, but without pride nor honor, instead, she finds herself forsaken by fear.

"What the hell are you doing in a cupboard?" Edmund is a foulmouthed boy.

"N - nothing," the golden haired girl denies, her honest nature proving weakness.

"Rubbish," Edmund challenges, narrowing his grey eyes as his hiding from Peter is forgotten.

"No, really!" Perhaps it is how quickly she had said it or the way her voice faltered like a scratched record when she did, either way, Edmund is not fooled.

"Really, Lucy, you think you can lie to _me?_" Contrary to his step-sister, he is not a very honest person.

"I - I'm not lying, Edmund, really," she pleads, desperate for her cupboard to stay hers.

"Do I look stupid to you, Lucy?" She shakes her head no. "Then I'll repeat myself: what the hell are you doing in a cupboard?"

"I . . ." She has no other choice. "I was playing pretend."

Before Edmund can scoff or sneer or snort at her childishness, the cupboard door bursts open to reveal a red faced Peter. He is growing into a rather handsome boy, with brave eyes & a crooked mouth, still his red face & ruffled hair makes him look just a little ridiculous. "Edmund, you bloody wanker," the golden haired boy growls, lunging forward at the now terrified "wanker."

"Peter, no!" A very pretty girl with kind eyes & very pink lips exclaims, her charming face plagued by worry & panic.

"Did you not _hear_ what your brother said about Lucy?" Peter roars, shaking the boy he'd snagged by the collar.

"_Peter,_ I'm sure it was awful & he deserves some kind of punishment but don't _hurt_ him," Susan, who is a pacifist, pleads with her step-brother.

"What would you do if it was Lucy who'd said something cruel about Edmund, Susan, hm?" The normally calm boy challenges, glaring knives at the gentle Susan. It truly had been _nasty_ what Edmund had said about poor little Lucy this time.

"I'm sure Lucy would _never_ say anything cruel about Ed, Peter," she tries to reason. Perhaps she is _too_ logical at times.

"But if she did?" He snarls, releasing Edmund to move in on Susan. He glares down at her, breathing heavily.

". . . I . . . I suppose I would be furious," she murmurs, backing away from him. Unfortunately, this only traps her against the wall as their younger siblings both watch with bated breath. "But," she quickly interjects, "I wouldn't _hurt_ her, I'd . . . I'd talk to her."

"Talk?" He echoes, "_talk?_"She nods. "I've _tried_ talking to him, Susan, it doesn't work! He won't _listen_ - "_  
_

"Then let me help you," Susan interrupts, leaning forward to stare him in the eyes without feeling like prey about to be eaten by predator.

Terrified, Lucy's hand finds Edmund's wrist. He doesn't shake her off.

It is only later that Susan's offer begins pestering Peter. Much later, while he is lying on his mattress, his mind buzzing with thoughts. Let me help you. Let me. Help you. Help. It's a foreign word to Peter. He has grown up as the eldest, constantly looking out for sweet little Lucy by himself. Help. Can he really continue being Lucy's knight in shining armour with all his studies crashing down? Help. Does he need Susan's help?

He purses his lips, frowning slightly.

Perhaps he had been harsh on Edmund. Perhaps he does need help. Yes, now that he thinks about it, he needs someone's help. But Susan? It seems odd to seek help from her. She is only 12. Surely, she must have been sucked into some clique with makeup & gossip. Come to think of it, Peter really doesn't know his step-sister. How is he to look after his younger siblings if he doesn't he even know them?

"How am I to get to know her?" He murmurs.

"You can start with my nightmare," none other than Susan herself whispers from his doorway.

"You came to me?" He asks, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Well, I couldn't go to Ed," her voice cracks as she walks forward with teary eyes & a trembling pout.

"Right," Peter mumbles, getting up.

Susan steps closer to him, leaving only centimeters between them. He can just barely see her entire body trembling in her night gown from his newfound height. He licks his lips, nervous. He's never been in the situation of comforting a very pretty girl only a year younger than him. Lucy is _5_ _years_ younger than him, with her it has always been normal. But Susan? Susan is well within his age range - and most importantly, Susan is developing certain assets that poor Peter finds very distracting.

He gulps. He has to do this. He has to start somewhere.

Peter wraps his arms around his step-sister's waist & pulls her against him. She is warm, soft. And he is doing this wrong. Her waist is reserved for lovers, brothers are supposed to wrap their arms around shoulders. But she doesn't correct his hold or pull away. She rests in his arms, crying slightly. "It's okay," he mumbles into her hair, inhaling her shampoo. "It's okay," he repeats, "I promise."

She squeezes her eyes shut, nuzzling her her head into his chest. Maybe it's unreasonable, perhaps completely illogical, after all, he is her step-brother, but she is scared. And when we're scared, _everything_ is logical.

He freezes for a moment, he can feel the small swell her developing breasts pressed against him. He can also feel some of his blood rushing down to a certain area of his body. Peter holds his breath for a moment . . . It's okay, not enough blood had gone down for her to notice.

But she has noticed. For, he has stiffened right against a certain area of _her_ body. Yes, he has noticed the pressure, but so has she. Still, Susan is not so scared that her judgement is completely clouded. She is a very logical person & knows that he can't help it. She just doesn't know why it's happened.

". . . I think Lucy has it best," Peter whispers as he calms a certain body part.

Susan adjusts her head so her cheek is pressed to his chest. "What do you mean?" She quietly asks.

"Playing pretend, not worrying about anything, catching fireflies, _always_ having a bigger bed to crawl into, don't you miss that?" He murmurs, bringing a hand to stroke her hair soothingly as he so often does for Lucy.

". . . I don't see why we can't play pretend again," Susan decides, pulling her head away from him.

"What do you mean?" Peter questions.

"I mean, what if . . . What if _we_ went to the cupboard to play pretend - it could be fun, & anyways, Mum & Dad are still out of town, so we don't exactly have a curfew now, do we?" She says, her tearful eyes glossing over with excitement at the thought of reliving her childhood.

"What if something bad happens while we're playing pretend, Susan? What if someone breaks in & robs us? Or if someone hurts Lucy or Edmund?" The golden haired boy rants, his imagination getting the best of him.

"_Peter,_ relax. How likely is that to happen? Of all the houses in town, why ours? Only close family friends even know that Mum & Dad are out of town," she calmly points out in a gentle, soothing tone as she brings her warm hand to his cheek.

"Okay, okay, I guess you're right. Alright, let . . . Let's go," he nods, releasing his hold on her. Of course, he secures her hand in his only seconds later to guide her to the cupboard. Maybe there's a tingle in his hand when he holds hers like he dragged his feet along a carpet in socks. And maybe she smiles a little too wide at the feeling of his fingers intertwined with hers. But maybe they're just tired.

Lucy creeps down the stairs, guided only by the slight shimmer of cascading light from the slow sunrise. The bottom stair creeks so she takes a long step past it. Edmund hasn't gotten to tease her about the cupboard yet, but she knows it's coming so she'll just play pretend in it one last time. She rushes to the cupboard door on her tiptoes, she still has to be very quiet. The doorknob is cold against her small hand when she turns it.

Lo & behold, her wide, innocent eyes take in the sight of none other than Peter & Susan snoozing gently against the far wall of the cupboard. She can just make out the sight of their intertwined hands & Susan's head snuggled into the crook of Peter's neck. With a quiet gasp, she quickly, & quietly, closes the door & rushes to Edmund's bedroom door. She raps her small fist against the door, whispering, "Edmund, Edmund! You'll never _believe_ it!"

Through the fairly thick oak, she can hear a groan as Edmund rises. He grumbles & moans as he marches to the door. "_What?_" His tone is harsh & groggy, no growing boy should be woken at such an ungodly hour.

"Come on," she whispers, grabbing hold of his hand & completely ignoring his red & white striped nightwear. Lucy takes to silently dragging him down the stairs, despite his groans of defiance. "Shhh," she presses her fingers to her soft lips as she shoots a dirty look at her step-brother. He glares right back, squeezing her hand tightly. She winces at his grip & smacks him feebly.

When they get to the cupboard door, neither one of them let go of the other's hand. In fact, their fingers intertwine, mirroring Peter & Susan's, as Lucy opens the door & turns on the light. And there they are, sleeping soundly together.

"What the hell?" Edmund breathes out._  
_

"Isn't it strange?" Lucy murmurs.

"Well, wake them up," the dark haired boy nods.

"But they're so peaceful," she protests.

"Didn't seem to bother you when it was me," he scoffs.

"Well, that was different!" Lucy exclaims, flinging her free hand into the air.

Peter grumbles. Then, he groggily shakes Susan awake.

"What time is it?" Peter yawns, barely noticing Lucy & Edmund.

"More importantly, why are you two holding hands like that?" Susan questions her younger siblings.

Their faces turn redder than Susan has ever seen before. Their hands simultaneously fly apart as Lucy mumbles nervous excuses.

"Wh - why are _you two_ holding hands like that?" An embarrassed Edmund counters in an accusatory tone.

"Why, that's none of your business," a blushing Susan responds, releasing Peter's hand.

"Let, er, let's just forget about this," Peter interjects, gulping. "It, it doesn't matter - there's a bloody war & we're discussing hand holding!"

Lucy nods feverishly, Edmund grumbles his compliance, & Susan shoots him a dirty look, "_language,_" she reprimands. He wonders how she can possibly be concerned with that given the circumstances.

At lunch, Lucy picks at her food. "So, um . . . Why where you two in the cupboard anyways?"

". . ." They exchange glances, wondering if they should tell Lucy the truth. "Playing pretend."

Edmund's look of confusion is absolutely priceless.


	2. packaged & sent

Sorry it took so long, I woke up at 10 & spent most of the day with family. When I got home at 6 PM, it kept giving me a 503 error.

c.h.a.p.t.e.r o.n.e

packaged & sent

_(there are far better things ahead than we leave behind - c.s. lewis)_

Their intention is clear in the way they whisper, huddled together, at night. Susan is sure of it. Peter is the first she tells, having promised to help him. When he knows, it is _they_ who begin to clump together, murmuring as she loses thoughts in the thick of his magnificent eyes. It is _they_ whose fingers brush, discussion of what they will do lost to him in the way she so reasonably makes gentle gestures.

Edmund picks up wisps of _their_ conversations. Left with no one else to turn to, he informs Lucy that they will be sent away. And then the youngest find themselves silent in disagreement, his just nobility reaching her ears through the roar of contempt. And then the youngest find themselves mumbling in a heated argument, valiant embers clear to him as she fights back.

But one night, when Peter & Susan have arrived upon their first decision together, the oldest talk to their siblings of why.

The following morning, Mum & Dad announce it, having finalized everything. The 4 Pevensie children will be shipped to the country where the Blitz cannot harm them. They have a week to prepare, send their father off to war, & wish farewells to friends being sent far, far away from them.

Lucy cries.

Even Edmund hates the way sorrow dyes her cheeks a blotchy red.

Peter crowns her head with his lips for a fleeting moment before taming her heavy tear drops with hummed verses. Susan counts her pain in each strangled sob while whispering comforting lies & exchanging body heat & moral support.

Edmund averts his gaze. He does not know how to deal with crying girls.

She is small enough to be tucked into her step-sister's side. And her step-sister is not the largest of people by any means. Actually, her step-sister is fairly small.

Not that Lucy would ever tell her step-sister that. Especially not now. Susan's hug is far too warm for ruining. _Maybe Susan is just a warm person,_ Lucy thinks, snuggling her head in comfortably. She's glad to finally have a sister. This warmth is softer than that of which Peter emits.

Susan's long, dark hair tickles Lucy's cheeks. It's actually quite nice. The light & feathery touches spark a bubbly smile from the blonde girl. "You're hair is so long," she whispers.

"Sorry, it's not bothering you, is it?" Susan apologizes, quickly moving to fix her hair.

"Not at all, Susan," Lucy's smile widens.

Susan is taken aback by her step-sister's affection. Nevertheless, she gives a small smile back before catching Peter's eye. Peter whose lips are tugged into a slight smile.

The train ride is quiet & terse.

They play passing games that send them into a deeper boredom. Eventually, Susan is sickened of this. What kind of siblings can't even hold a proper argument on a long train ride?

"Are we seriously just going to sit here like strangers? We may not like it & we may not be used to it, but we're siblings now," she snaps, arms crossed & eyes narrowed in annoyance at her siblings lack of regard for each other.

"Bloody hell, Su," Edmund breathes out, his eyes bulging.

Lucy gasps, bringing a hand to her mouth at her step-brother's language. Maybe she has heard Peter say _that word_ before, but she's only 8, it's still shocking.

Susan gives her brother a scolding & slightly disturbed look, her mouth hanging slightly open, "_language._ Honestly, Ed, you're only _10_ & what about Lucy? Hm? She's 8, Edmund, you can't be saying that kind of word around her."

"Sorry, Su," the dark haired boy murmurs, sinking into his seat.

"So . . ." Peter trails off, unsure of what he should say.

"Yes, Peter?" Susan asks. It's shocking, the way she says it though. It's so polite & so very proper, her posture is perfect, just like her intonation, her hands are folded gingerly, & her head is cocked gently.

With a sigh, Peter asks, "do you know any good songs?"

Lucy's eyes light up like a Christmas tree as she valiantly opens her mouth. Edmund sighs, rolling his eyes & resting his bored face in his palm. Perhaps it isn't a just opinion but he gets the feeling this will be a long, painful train ride.

Peter gives his sister an amused smile to compliment his magnificently kind gaze as he leans over to ruffle her blonde hair. Susan lets out a gentle laugh, tucking dark locks behind her ear & exchanging fond looks with Peter.

"Teach us the lyrics then, Lu," Peter laughs, resting his arm around Susan, who is seated next to him.

"Pay attention, Edmund," Lucy says, prodding her step-brother. He sits up with a groan, turning to glare at Lucy. Unfortunately, their faces are closer than he expected. A warm blush overtakes his face, she's prettier than he could've sworn a few minutes ago. Her eyes glisten with a fresh innocence & freckles lightly dot her cheeks. Her golden curls falls enchantingly around her face, highlighting her wide eyes. And there Edmund is, in a sulky expression with dull grey eyes & boring dark hair to contrast his pale skin. He can't help but feel like a twat in comparison.

"Course," the dark haired boy mumbles, trying to pull his eyes away from her.

It's not long before Lucy has taught her siblings the song. And though it is the dumbest thing ever in Edmund's eyes, even he cannot deny the magic held in the lyrics they chorus. There is something perfect in the way they exchange brilliant, goofy smiles & trying to hold back laughter. Peter rises, grabbing hold of Susan to twirl her as they sing. Her head rolls back as she laughs at her step-brother's antics. Lucy smiles wildly at the sight of the two dancing so harmonically, the gentle Susan gracefully moving in time with the magnificent Peter's careful steps. Edmund stares curiously at his step-sister, trying to ignore his sister dancing with their step-brother. He can't help but wonder if she too would like to be spun about so carefree to the same tune they sing.

However, he pushes this feeling away as his mouth carelessly sings.

He must focus on their destination.

_They_ must focus on what adventures may be bestowed upon them in the country.

But they could never _imagine_ the adventures to come.

_**Merry Christmas.**_

* * *

Hold back that follow or favorite,

And trade it for a review,

It'll serve as feedback & motivation for my writing tricks,

And otherwise, I might just slap you.

- Queen Alison the Obstinate


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